Andrea Hoag Review from the Montgomery Gazette

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Montgomery Gazette Nov. 10, 1999:

Andrea Hoag fiddles and sizzles

by Chris Slattery

"Two strong forces, not opposing, but coming together to make something new." That's how fiddler/violinist Andrea Hoag describes "Fire & Water," her latest CD. The Takoma Park artist, who performs Monday night as part of the Institute of Musical Traditions concert series at Paint Branch Unitarian Universalist Church in Adelphi, says the work and its title express her own approach to music.

"It's possible to remain deeply traditional while being individualistic and improvisational," she says when asked to describe her sound. Energetic, passionate, and deeply soulful, the music on "Fire & Water" somehow manages to soothe and excite at the very same time.

A bright mélange of Swedish, Southern Appalachian and Celtic flavor, "Fire & Water" empowers traditional fiddle music with a definite modern edge. Each cut is as beautiful as any old-fashioned air, but sports a complexity that speaks right to the beat and makes the listener lean in close to hear what's coming up next.

The path that brought Hoag, 42, to a musical career was a roundabout one to be sure. The Seattle native says she tinkered with her sister's piano as a child and even took a few classical violin lessons, but it wasn't until age 15 that the fiddle came into her life. After that, it was only a matter of time before she was traveling the world in search of fiddle traditionsóoff to Southern Appalachia, to Alaska, to Ireland and finally, to Sweden, where she fell deeply in love with the polska rhythm, and decided to stay for a while and complete her formal musical education.

"The music scene in Sweden is remarkable," she says. "There's respect for tradition, but also an inclination to jam and be expressive. And I found a rich social environment. People who teach fiddle are so generousóthey have a deep love for the music and it's a living thing to them."

That's a feeling that Hoag shares-and passes in to her audience. Betsy Platt, concert director at the Institute of Musical Traditions, traces Hoag's ability to shake up the genre to her intense knowledge of and familiarity with traditional fiddle music.

"Andrea is very conversant with traditions," she explains. "So much so that she's able to improvise and make the music come alive. This is someone who is living with the folk tradition, not simply playing it."

Making folk come alive is a process that's particularly enjoyable for musicians and audiences alike. Hoag is joined on "Fire & Water" by a remarkable group of musicians including pianist Jacqueline Schwab, old-time fiddler Bruce Molsky, bassist and cellist Ralph Gordon and multi-instrumentalist Paul Oorts. Together they push the boundaries of folk music, allowing the notes to dip and meander as they pull the listener along with them on a rollicking ride across a variety of traditions.

It's a style that once led to Hoag being described as a "rhythmic wise guy," a moniker she takes as an amusing compliment.

"I like to play around with rhythm," she laughs. "To throw in a bit of 'maddening rubato.' That's what makes it so wonderful."

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